


Deferred Pleasures

by Circe (ELG)



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M, Romantic Fluff, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-21
Updated: 2013-03-21
Packaged: 2017-12-06 01:46:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/730223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ELG/pseuds/Circe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trapped on a planet and being hunted by Nirrti's Jaffa, Jack and Daniel are forced to take shelter in a freezing cave for the night. An erotic dream of Jack's leads to surprising revelations but any pleasures are going to have to be deferred until they are safely back on Earth. First they have to escape through the heavily-guarded Stargate. [Printed in Pretense #1]<br/>NB: I just found a whole bunch of Circe zine fic - that I thought I'd lost during one my many computer meltdowns - on an old disk so I am posting it before I lose it again, even though I think it's probably unbearably schmoopy fluff. Will try to warn accordingly! Probably not for those who like gritty and incisive characterization. :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deferred Pleasures

As soon as they'd realized which Goa'uld it was whose emblem those Jaffa were wearing, O'Neill had told Teal'c and Carter to start running. He'd known it was going to be a close-run thing and he'd known that Carter was the one Her Royal Bitchness and High Priestess of the Double Cross the gracious goddess Nirrti was really going to have it in for. And Nirrti had almost killed Teal'c once already. And Daniel wasn't a particularly fast runner.

O'Neill had never been able to work that one out because Daniel had the longest legs for his height of anyone he'd ever met: the man was practically all leg. But although he was very good at tripping over things with them, running fast with those legs was something Daniel never seemed to have worked out, so Daniel was going to slow everyone up if O'Neill let him; much better to send the other two ahead and him grab hold of Daniel ready to take evasive action if he had to.

They hadn't been that far behind at first but by the time Daniel had taken a spectacular header over a fallen tree trunk and been dragged up by O'Neill, Carter and Teal'c were out of sight. O'Neill's orders had been very clear: they were to run like bats out of hell for the Stargate, dial home and get themselves back to the SGC. He and Daniel would probably be right behind them, O'Neill had said. Teal'c and Carter had shot him a worried look but done as they were asked.

Hearing Nirrti's Jaffa thundering along behind them and seeing the blood trickling from that bump on Daniel's forehead, O'Neill grabbed the younger man by the front of the jacket and towed him deep into the undergrowth then clamped a hand across his mouth.

The Jaffa ran past.

Hoping to God that Teal'c and Carter could outrun them, O'Neill tried to think what to do. There were now Jaffa not only between him and the other half of his team but between him and Daniel and the Stargate. And Daniel looked as though he might be concussed. It was hard to tell with Daniel, of course, because he did tend to sit around wide-eyed and with his mouth open even when he hadn't just taken a whack to the head.

Whispering, O'Neill said, "You okay, Daniel?"

"Pretty scared, Jack," Daniel confessed. "Really didn't like Nirrti very much the last time we met."

"Ditto on that."

"And given the fact we foiled her plan, kept our Stargate, and exposed her evil plot to the other System Lords, I suspect we may not be people to whom she feels very well disposed."

"I'm going to go out on a limb and agree with you."

"If Teal'c and Carter make it through, those Jaffa are going to be guarding the Stargate to make sure the SGC don't send us any reinforcements."

"I agree with you again, Daniel."

"Which kind of means we're stuck here, being hunted down by the fanatical Jaffa of a vengeful and merciless Goa'uld."

"Yup. Pretty much how I see it myself."

"Okay, now can you stop agreeing with me and start thinking of a solution?"

"Hiding, Daniel. Hiding really, really well."

Still holding onto Daniel's jacket, O'Neill did his best to make them both melt into the undergrowth like shadows. Slowly, and with great care, they began to make their way even deeper into the forest.

They found the cave before nightfall. O'Neill left Daniel outside while he went in to see if it was already occupied by anything with teeth but found the place both bare and dry. Unfortunately, they'd had to dump their packs to make better time when the Jaffa had first surprised them, and the temperature was beginning to drop sharply. Going through his pockets, O'Neill found that he had a candy bar and a bottle of sunblock. "Great," he muttered, "a fat lot of use that's going to be." If O'Neill wasn't very much surprised then before too long it was going to be freezing. Speaking quietly, he said, "Daniel, we can't risk a fire, so you and I are going to have to keep each other warm."

Despite the gloom, he saw the flash of Daniel's teeth, "Sounds like more fun than anything else we've done on this trip so far."

Surprised, O'Neill looked at the scientist who immediately dropped his gaze and shuffled his feet in obvious embarrassment. "Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood a little."

O'Neill recovered and shrugged casually, "No, that's fine, Daniel. Glad you're okay about it. Basically, we have to use each other's body heat to stay alive, so although it sounds stupid, you need to unzip your jacket and I'll do the same, then we need to get as close to each other as we can. Okay?"

"Okay, Jack. Actually the ancient Spartans used to do that – take their clothes off and use each other's body heat."

Not very interested in the ancient Spartans, O'Neill lay down on the floor of the cave and waved Daniel down on top of him. The linguist lowered himself gingerly, "Am I squashing you?"

"No, that's fine. We can move onto our sides in a minute. Undo your jacket."

Daniel unzipped his jacket and then their chests were pressing against each other, the warmth of each man's body clearly discernible through the thin material of their t-shirts. O'Neill wrapped his arms around Daniel but under his jacket, gently swinging him over onto his side. It felt very natural to just hook his legs around Daniel's and pull those in close as well. He felt Daniel tentatively slide his arms around his back, the man's hands dabs of cold against his skin that were quickly warmed by his internal heat. He felt Daniel's breath on his neck, could feel Daniel's hair against his mouth and something stirred inside him. He wasn't sure what it was but knew he'd felt it before, a vague spasming within which reminded him of all those dreams he'd had that faded as he opened his eyes. Ones that he would have given so much to remember and yet which were gone too fast to ever recall. "You warm enough?" he whispered.

Daniel nodded, "Toasty, Jack."

"We'll probably have to keep changing around so our arms don't get too tired but try to sleep while you can, Okay?"

"Okay, Jack," Daniel murmured. He sounded almost asleep already.

Despite the danger of their position, O'Neill could feel exhaustion pressing on his own eyelids.

He slept.

He dreamt.

He dreamt he was kissing someone he loved. The loved one's face wasn't clear but that mouth was the sweetest he'd ever tasted and he wanted to stay like this forever, kissing that velvet mouth, tasting the tentative curl of that tongue, holding that wonderfully warm body in his arms. He was rubbing his groin against it tentatively, gentle little nudges, and that mouth was opening wider, inviting him in deeper, slender thighs were splaying to give him access and he rubbed himself between those legs that little bit harder. His cock ached with wanting. He was trying to find an opening to slip inside but there were clothes wrapped around him and the object of his desire. Yet those other hips were arching to meet him, meeting need with need. He was rubbing harder, harder, thrusting now. The one he was kissing was whimpering with longing; hands fumbled at his groin, unzipped him, cupped his cock, welcomed it. He thrust into the welcoming hands and the body beneath him groaned with satisfaction. Whoever she was she obviously didn't want him inside her, only like this; well like this was fine for now. He was so turned on he was ready to settle for anything. His kisses were demanding now, diving in deeper; he felt the body he was on top of squirm beneath him, submissive and yet willing; he thrust harder into the comfort of those hands. He could tell they were delicate, long-fingered, sensitive to his needs. He thrust harder. Harder. Drove his tongue even deeper into that warm wet cavern, demanded, claimed, took possession of entirely, that mouth, those lips, that body, those hands. Came with a groan and shudder of contentment.

Opened his eyes.

Saw nothing but darkness.

Darkness because he was in a cave. On an alien world. Hiding from Nirrti's Jaffa.

With Daniel.

Only Daniel.

"Daniel…?" A question, disbelieving, appalled. "Oh my god! _Daniel_?"

"Sssh, Jack. They mustn't hear us, remember? Nirrti's Jaffa are probably still out there looking for us." Daniel's voice sounded calm and quiet in the darkness.

"Oh my God, what did I just…?"

O'Neill realized that he had just cavalierly taken possession of his team-mate's body, thrust himself against it, stuck his tongue into Daniel's mouth, come into Daniel's hands. Aghast, he breathed, "Daniel, I'm so sorry. I thought you were…?"

"Someone else. I know. It's okay, Jack, really. I worked that out for myself."

"Why didn't you _say_ something?"

"I wasn't sure what was going on at first, and by the time I realized, it had gone too far to…I thought you might just go back to sleep and not need to know…anyway, there's no harm done."

O'Neill realized his cock was still resting between Daniel's thighs and hastily rolled off him, zipping himself back up. Glad of the darkness, which hid his flaming face, he reached into his pocket for a handful of Kleenex which he shoved at the younger man in embarrassment, "Christ, I must have come all over you."

"It's okay, Jack, really." 

He heard Daniel wiping his hands and felt a fresh wave of embarrassment sear him. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing. I'm not hurt. Really, Jack, I don't mind. There was no harm done."

Daniel sounded so matter-of-fact that O'Neill couldn't help a slightly unnerved laugh escaping him. "God, Daniel."

"What?"

"I guess being an anthropologist has its advantages."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it must teach you to take all kinds of weird human behavior in your stride that's all I can say."

"Jack, it's not that complicated. You thought I was someone else. You had a wet dream. It happens. Don't sweat it. And you'd better lie back down here before we both die of hypothermia."

He knew that Daniel was right and yet he was so embarrassed. On the other hand, if Daniel didn't have a problem with what he'd just done to him then who was he to decide that Daniel had to freeze to death just to save his blushes? Blushing furiously nevertheless, O'Neill lay back down next to Daniel. A thought struck him. "Why the hell did you unzip me?"

"I thought you were going to – you know – come in your pants, and we don't have a change of clothes. We may be hiding low here for days, right? I figured you probably wouldn't want semen all over your underwear."

"You figured right." O'Neill shook his head. Calm. Practical. This was a side of Daniel he hadn't seen that often.

Daniel put his arms back under O'Neill's jacket and wrapped them around his back, pulling him in tighter against him. "God, you're so cold, Jack."

"I'll warm up in a minute." Daniel's body was a comforting heat against him. He felt a rush of gratitude to the anthropologist for not freaking out about what he'd done to him. He said softly, "Thanks for taking this so well, Daniel, and I'm sorry for – using you like that."

"It doesn't matter at all, Jack."

After a few minutes, O'Neill realized that he still had all of his weight pressing down on the younger man and frowned. "You go on top for a bit."

"No, it's okay, really…."

"Don't be silly. I weigh more than you do anyway. I'm probably flattening you."

"No…!"

Odd that Daniel could take him molesting him in his stride but was being so reluctant about this. O'Neill rolled over and pulled Daniel with him, hauling him up on top of him so that he took Daniel's weight on his torso. Something spattered his face, fell into his open mouth. Salt water.

Tears.

Daniel was crying.

O'Neill went cold inside. Daniel was crying because the man he trusted had just practically ravished him. "Oh God, Daniel, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry…"

"It isn't what you think." Daniel snaked his arms free from O'Neill's back to wipe his eyes.

"So you're not crying because I just sexually assaulted you in my sleep?"

He heard Daniel swallow; go tense as though he was steeling himself for something. The voice was so faint he could hardly hear it. "I'm crying because you thought I was someone else."

There was a moment in which all he could hear was the hammering of Daniel's heart. He could practically taste the younger man's fear. He could smell his own semen, he realized, musty and bitter in the darkness. He had to make this right somehow. He couldn't go back, after all. Better to go forwards.

O'Neill raised his head. "I know who you are right now," he said softly.

The tears fell faster. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Daniel whispered, pressing his face into O'Neill's neck. "I've just wanted you to do that for so long, Jack, for so long…. Don't be mad at me. Please don't be mad at me. Don't hate me…."

O'Neill 'hushed' him gently, stroking his hair. "Oh, Danny, don't cry," he said very tenderly. "You know I could never be mad at you. And why should I be when you're saying such nice things to me?"

He heard Daniel gasp and wished he could see his face. Daniel said tentatively, "You don't…mind?"

"This is how much I mind." O'Neill cradled Daniel's head in his hands, tilted his face up then kissed him gently.

 

He wished he could see the look in Daniel's blue eyes as they kissed, could see as well as feel that beautiful mouth so tentatively responding to the soft pressure of his lips brushing against it over and over, could feel the cheekbone he traced lightly with his forefinger. He was feeling dreamlike. Everything had clicked into place so easily in the end but he hadn't even known they were _out_ of place until that moment. Probably because Daniel had been with him; Daniel had been right there by his shoulder, just where he wanted and needed him. It had only been in his dreams he'd realized he wanted more than he already had, perhaps because he'd already had so much. But this…

Jack stroked Daniel's fringe back from his forehead, feeling silky hair against his fingers. This was like being shown the way to paradise.

When he kissed Daniel's eyelids he could taste the salt on them from his tears. He licked his eyelashes gently, savoring the flavor of them. He'd never thought he would be glad to have made Daniel cry, but this saltwater on his tongue was the proof of how much Daniel loved him. 

Jack gave a little groan of mingled satisfaction and frustration. Satisfaction because it was so wonderful to have Daniel in his arms, and to realize that having Daniel in his arms was what he'd always wanted, but frustration because this was such a cold, dark, miserable place, and he wanted Daniel home and safe where he could see the skin he was touching, the mouth he was kissing, the eyes whose long eyelashes were brushing his cheek even now. 

He eased them both back against the wall of the cave, flapping his jacket open so he could feel Daniel's body pressing against his; only the thin cloth of their t-shirts separating them. "Are you cold?" he whispered, wrapping his arms around him more tightly.

"I've never been warmer," Daniel murmured back. He sounded utterly contented. 

Jack laid the back of his hand against Daniel's cheek: the skin was icy. He couldn't entirely repress a smile as he bent and mouthed the top of his head, whispering, "Uh, Daniel…? You're freezing."

He felt Daniel sigh against his neck, warm breath tantalizing his skin. Daniel whispered back, "Only outside, Jack."

 

In some ways it was one of the most uncomfortable nights Jack had ever spent. Too cold to sleep, surrounded by damp rock, having to sit up the whole night long. It was also one of the best nights he'd ever spent, because for every cold, uncomfortable minute, he'd had a Daniel in his arms who'd admitted to loving him and who he had belatedly realized he also loved. 

He was still very glad to see the sun come up. Apart from anything else as the light slowly crept through the cave entrance, he got to see Daniel again. 

Daniel was pressed in against him, his head against Jack's chest, listening to Jack's heartbeat as he slept. Which probably explained that little smile on Daniel's face. 

And Jack couldn't help a little gasp of astonishment when he saw Daniel's face in the rose-hued light because how the _hell_ could he had been working with him all this time and never realized how beautiful he was? Yesterday he'd been: Daniel. His best friend. The person he was fondest of, closest to, wanted to keep safe and well more than anyone else in the universe. Today he was still all of those things, but he was also suddenly beautiful, desirable, irresistible. Unable to stop himself, Jack bent and brushed his lips gently against that perfect mouth.

Daniel stirred, sighed, opened his eyes, gazed up at him. Smiled. A little half-asleep smile of such absolute trust, love, and contentment that Jack had to swallow quickly to stop unexpected tears pricking the back of his eyelids. "Oh, Daniel…." He stroked the back of his fingers down his cold cheek. "You are so…."

Daniel frowned and then stretched a little, waking up properly. He gave Jack a tentative smile. "So…?"

"Perfect." Jack bent and kissed him a little harder, savoring those soft lips against his, the way they parted at once so he could slip his tongue inside that welcoming cavern. 

When he reluctantly pulled back he saw the look on Daniel's face he'd seen so many times before when one of them had been brought back from the brink; that heartbreakingly fragile smile of relief. It had always got to him; made him want to put his arms around Daniel as though he was a child and tell him everything was okay. Today, knowing it was caused by him, by the proof that he still loved Daniel even by daylight, it made his heart turn over. He tightened his grip on him impulsively. "Believe it, Daniel. There's really nothing difficult about it. The only mystery here is what the hell you see in me."

Daniel gave one of his little gasps, staring up at him wide-eyed because the older man had read his mind so effortlessly. 

Jack bent his head and whispered into Daniel's ear very softly, "Believe it."

Jack couldn't seem to stop himself touching him, needing to feel that chilly skin against his fingers, that mouth against his, needing to taste and touch that silky hair. They cuddled impulsively, Jack dropping little kisses all over Daniel, anywhere he could find some cold skin to brush his lips against: his ear, his nose, the back of his neck, while Daniel put his arms around him and tightened his grip, rubbing the right side of his face against Jack's chest like a cat needing to be stroked before reaching up and kissing Jack's throat over and over. 

After a breathless few minutes of caresses, Jack collected himself and rubbed Daniel's back to warm him up and get his attention. "Daniel, we need to go home. We definitely need to be somewhere Nirrti isn't."

Daniel looked up at him and smiled again, looking more like himself now that he was secure of Jack's feelings for him. "Somewhere a bed is?"

Jack felt his throat get a little dry. "That – that would be good too." He gave himself a mental shake. "Somewhere with central heating, a shower and some food might not be a bad idea either." He reluctantly disentangled himself from Daniel and got to his feet, holding out a hand to help the younger man up.

As Daniel straightened up he murmured, "But especially a bed…."

Jack pretended not to hear but he couldn't stop a big silly grin breaking out as he went over to the edge of the cave to check for Jaffa. He'd been so taken aback by how sweet and delicious Daniel was that he'd almost lost sight of how damned doable he was as well. He was not at all sorry to be reminded that kissing and cuddling were not all that he and Daniel could do together. As he cautiously checked for hostiles outside their little sanctuary, Jack was mentally resolving that even if there were a hundred damned Jaffa guarding the 'gate, one way or another he was _getting_ Daniel back home. Today. 

 

They'd been lying concealed behind a bush keeping an eye on the Jaffa who were guarding the 'gate against _them_ when the chevrons began to engage. Jack and Daniel exchanged a look. "If it's Teal'c and Sam…." Daniel began anxiously.

"They would have sent a probe through," Jack tried to sound reassuring despite the way his own heartbeat had just increased uncomfortably. Hammond wouldn't give Teal'c permission to come back without sending a probe through first but that didn't mean Teal'c might not just up and come and….

The seventh chevron engaged, the blue surge of liquid light making the Jaffa raise their staff weapons in readiness. 

Then what Daniel persisted in referring to as the 'plane-thingy' came through so fast the Jaffa never had a chance and so low that it ploughed through them like a bulldozer.

"Youch!" Jack said in mingled revulsion and admiration. Darting a glance at Daniel he saw that the younger man had his eyes screwed up tight. He patted him on the shoulder. "Keep your eyes closed, Daniel: lot of body parts down there."

"I'm going to be sick," Daniel said quietly.

"No, you're not." Jack got to his feet and pulled Daniel up after him. "Because our ride just came." He tugged Daniel after him. The younger man keeping his eyes grimly averted from the dead Jaffa strewn around the Stargate. The glider was purring on the ground now, its pilot impatiently waving to them to hurry.

Jack waved back to the pilot and was not at all surprised when a familiar voice said, "Ah…Human! You have the…other one?"

"Have him right here." Jack increased his pace, hauling Daniel after him cheerfully. "Head up, Daniel, keep looking at the gate."

Daniel looked very pale, stumbling on the uneven ground. "What did I just trip over?"

Jack glanced back, pulled a face and then said blandly, "Just a fallen branch, Daniel. Nothing to worry about."

The wormhole evaporated with a 'whoosh' and Bra'tac sprang down to dial up an outgoing 'gate. He glanced briefly at the Jaffa as he passed them, face unreadable but O'Neill thought there was compassion there. He hoped there was compassion there.

Then the Stargate was engaging again and Bra'tac was striding past them to swing himself back up into the cockpit with a grace O'Neill somehow doubted he was going to be showing at the age of a hundred and thirty-something. Bra'tac gave them a look of disapproval, almost as if he knew all about the wet dream and their furtive little romance and thought it was too frivolous a thing for them to be thinking about when half the galaxy was in thrall to snakes with delusions of grandeur. "Hurry!" he demanded.

Jack saluted, thinking as he did so, that if it had been as long since Bra'tac had gotten any as it was for Jack, or so long since someone had looked at Bra'tac the way Daniel had looked at Jack in the night, he wouldn't be so dismissive of other people's little frivolities. As he gave Daniel a leg-up into the glider, the archaeologist was still looking a little green. "Don't these things only take two?"

Bra'tac said with a shrug, "I can take you one at a time or else you can share a – "

Jack swung himself up into the back of the glider and said, "Daniel: sit on my lap."

Daniel shot him a quick 'I'll get you for that later' look but couldn't help a small smile playing around his lips as well. He said formally, "Is that an order, Colonel O'Neill?"

"Damned straight." Jack slid underneath Daniel and pulled him down onto his lap a little more firmly than was strictly necessary before whispering in his ear too low for Bra'tac to hear, "And it's one you'd better get used to, because you're going to be hearing it a _lot_ from now on."

Aloud he said blandly, "Nothing to worry about, Daniel."

Daniel happened to glance down and saw what the glider was resting on. "Oh boy…."

"Uh – Master Bra'tac, do you want to get us out of here?"

"Has he never seen a battlefield before?"

Jack gave the old Jaffa a very straight look. "Yes, he has. Way too many. So have I, but that doesn't mean they're a good place to visit."

Bra'tac sighed impatiently and slammed his hand down onto the control button. Although he'd wrapped his arms around Daniel in readiness, the glider leapt forward at such incredible velocity, Jack damned near threw up himself, Daniel's weight combining with his to jam him back into the seat. As his eyeballs tried to climb out of his head, he remembered what the General had told him after he'd come and rescued them from Hathor, how Bra'tac had described 'threading the needle' as a young man's skill. "Um – I was actually a pilot," Jack began. "And I am actually quite a lot less than a hundred and thirty-six and…okay…You obviously know what you're…." He winced and closed his eyes as the gate was rushing towards them much too fast with what seemed to be an inch of clearance at the most.

Daniel said quietly and matter-of-factly, "We're going to die."

The next millisecond they were into the wormhole, their atoms being poured through a sieve, the next they were bursting out into daylight, looping spectacularly like a giant raven trying to impress his mate, and then coming to land upon the grass. The circle of rocks around the 'gate told them both that they were now on Chulak.

Jack gulped some air back into his lungs and then tentatively ruffled Daniel's hair. "You, okay?"

"I think the bits of me that survived the journey are. I'm just a bit worried about my stomach because I think I left it behind on Nirrti's planet."

"Mine too."

"Well at least neither of them will be lonely."

Jack leant forward and tapped Bra'tac on the shoulder. "Thanks. We owe you one." He couldn't help a spasm of loss when Daniel got up off his lap and climbed down. His groin had just started to really like the idea of Daniel's cute little butt being that near to it. Reminding himself that there would be plenty more opportunities for them to get up close and personal, Jack swung himself down onto the chilly grass.

Bra'tac watched them in ill-concealed disapproval. As always Jack resisted the impulse to say Excuse _me_ for not having a snake in my belly. The old Jaffa said, "Hammond of Texas asked me to rescue you. Again."

"Thank you," said Daniel politely. "We're really very grateful."

Bra'tac ignored him to look at Jack, "You should be more careful."

"Well, we were trying but…"

"You are the Asgard's chosen representative. You are useful to the Tau'ri." He jerked his head in Daniel's direction. "According to Teal'c, even he is apparently useful to the Tau'ri." Before they could voice a protest, he held out a GDO and nodded at the 'gate. "You may go home now."

Daniel held up his own GDO. "We have one."

Bra'tac glanced at him dismissively. "So Teal'c said. I thought it likely you might have mislaid it."

Jack said aggrievedly, "In between tripping over our own feet and getting lost in the woods?"

Bra'tac's gaze flickered briefly back to Daniel. "Exactly."

 

Jack was still angry as they came back through the gate. "…I mean who the hell does he think he is anyway?"

"The man who just risked his neck to save our lives…?" Daniel pointed out.

"Well, I think his attitude is…."

Daniel nudged Jack gently in the ribs to point out the welcoming committee at the bottom of the ramp to him.

"Welcome back, Colonel, Dr Jackson," General Hammond smiled in relief. "I see Master Bra'tac managed to send you back to us safe and sound."

"Yes, sir, he did," Daniel said quickly. He smiled at Sam and Teal'c. "It's good to see you got back, too."

"We were a little worried when you didn't follow us." Sam grinned in relief.

Jack went through the inevitable welcome backs and explanations of how they had contacted Bra'tac on Chulak and asked him what he could do to help them in a daze. All he could think about was that soft sweet mouth against his, Daniel kissing his neck, Daniel in his arms, that chilled skin he so wanted to savor and taste again. He sat through the debriefing answering questions automatically, but his mind constantly reverting to memories of the chilly darkness of that cave, having to trace the contours of Daniel's face with his fingertips and smell the scent of his hair because he couldn't see him. And now he was afraid to look at him in case it was obvious to everyone how beautiful Daniel had become to him in the last twenty-four hours.

"You look tired, Colonel. Why don't you go home?"

"I'll drive him, sir."

Jack came out of his reverie to see Daniel smiling at the General with the most innocent look on his face imaginable. No one in a millennium would have guessed that this was anything other than a concerned friend talking. Oh boy, his estimation of Daniel just kept going up and up.

"Are you sure you're up to it, Dr Jackson?"

"I'll be fine."

The next thing Jack knew he was in the passenger seat of Daniel's car with Daniel driving him home, a seraphic smile playing on those so-kissable lips. It was just a pity he was so damned tired…Jack roused himself enough to say conversationally, "You do know that two seconds through my door I'm throwing you to the floor and ravishing you?"

Daniel gave him a sideways look. "Jack, you can hardly keep your eyes open. You're not going to be up to do any ravishing until you've had at least eight hours sleep. Not to mention a meal and a shower."

Sighing, Jack knew he was right. The spirit was willing all right, but the body was totally uninterested at the moment. "Will you be taking that meal and that shower with me?"

"Yes to the meal, no to the shower," Daniel gave another of his little smiles. "But if you like I might come and take a nap with you."

Jack swallowed. "I'd – like. I'd like a lot."

Daniel had shooed him off to the shower as soon as they were through the door, using the time to make a scratch pasta meal that they were both too tired to taste although they did both mechanically shovel the food down. Then Daniel waved Jack wearily in the direction of the bedroom. "Go and get some sleep."

Jack caught his hand and gave it a gentle tug. "Come with me."

"Have to shower first."

He looked at how tired Daniel was and nodded. He couldn't believe that here they were, in love and with no one to disturb them, him clad just in a towel and Daniel about to be getting wet and naked and neither of them with the energy to do anything about it. "This sucks," he said plaintively.

"Deferred pleasures," Daniel murmured sleepily, "always the best kind." 

Jack went into the bedroom, pulled the drapes across and climbed under the covers. He forced himself to stay awake a little longer, to listen to the sound of the shower running, then the slap slap of wet footsteps in the passageway as Daniel stumbled back to the bedroom, the creak of springs as Daniel clambered in next to him. There was a terrible irony here; he had a wet warm naked and slippery Daniel pressing against his back and he couldn't even keep his eyes open long enough to savor it. This definitely sucked. He felt Daniel's arm go around his chest, felt Daniel's breath on the back of his neck, heard that drowsy, "Night, Jack…" Well, maybe it didn't suck after all, maybe it was actually pretty damned nice to have Daniel snuggling up against him like that…Jack's eyes closed. He slept.

 

When Jack woke up it was dark and he had no idea where he was. For a second he thought he was back in the cave with a strategy still to find to get them home; Daniel still in danger; Nirrti's Jaffa still a threat. Then he realized he was much too comfortable to be in a cave; that his head was lying on a pillow, that he was wrapped up warm in bed.

Another even more terrible thought occurred to him. What if the whole thing had been a dream? What if they had never gone to Nirrti's planet at all? What if he and Daniel had never kissed because Daniel didn't love him after all? Jack sat up straight in horror and reached for the switch of his bedside light.

So it was by lamplight that he saw Daniel naked in his bed for the first time. A soft glow that nevertheless told him that everything he'd ever wanted was only a fingertip away. Daniel's hair was still a little damp from the shower and a few strands of it were stuck across his forehead. He was breathing evenly, smooth chest rising and falling, long eyelashes resting on his cheeks, that small contented smile playing on his lips again. The covers had been pushed down when Jack sat up and now only came up to his waist, exposing those strong shoulders, and rounded upper arms. He was even more beautiful than Jack remembered.

Jack was torn between waking Daniel up so he could make love to him and just watching him sleep. Deciding that he was so adorable in sleep that he couldn't bear the thought of waking him _even_ to make love to him, Jack bent and kissed his exposed left ear tenderly. Daniel stirred a little then snuggled back down again, his arms closed around the pillow and he murmured, "Jack…" in sleepy contentment.

"I'm right here, Daniel," the man whispered. "And this is right where I'm going to be from now on, whenever you wake up."

This time Daniel didn't stir, but, in his sleep, his smile of contentment got even bigger.

 

He must have drifted off to sleep because he woke with a jolt to hear Daniel anxiously whispering his name. "Jack…? Jack…?"

Jack opened his eyes and turned over to see a Daniel who was not quite awake yet and who was reaching for him on the pillow. He was across the foot of bed separating them in an eye blink. He put up his right hand and stroked his fingers gently across Daniel's left cheek to wake him, saying soothingly, "Daniel, it's okay. I'm right here."

Those long eyelashes lifted to reveal confused blue eyes. "Jack…?" Daniel looked around and then back at the man in whose bed he had been sleeping. His eyes widened. "It was true?"

Jack stroked his face again. "All true."

Daniel's face looked as though someone had shone a light upon it and he said, "All true," with a little sigh of relief. "I thought we were in the cave…and then I thought I must have dreamt…."

"Dreamt the whole thing? I woke up thinking the same way. But it was true. We were there. And now we're here…" He left the faintest note of invitation in that last statement. He wasn't sure how Daniel would feel about anything…physical going on between them. He would have laid money this was the first time Daniel had ever shared a bed with a man and although he knew without the shadow of a doubt that Daniel loved him and trusted him, letting a man make love to him would be one hell of a leap of faith for a thirty-four year old widower who had never slept with anyone except women before now – and not very many of those. Jack stroked his thumb gently along Daniel's cheekbone and then slid his fingers up into that short silky hair, holding his head still as he leant across and kissed him.

Daniel sighed with contentment as he opened his mouth for him. Jack felt his heart tighten at the innocent way Daniel did that, just opening up to his tongue with such total trust. There was a part of him that wanted to plunge in deep and hot and hungry but Daniel was so sweet he felt ashamed of that impulse and kissed him very gently. "I'm such a lucky guy," he said quietly as they separated.

Daniel dropped his gaze and gave a little sideways smile. "I think that's me actually, Jack. I've been in love with you since…since Sha're died and I knew you'd never look at me twice but I…"

"That's weird. I've been having those dreams since Sha're died. Dreams about kissing someone whose face I couldn't see. I never knew it was you I was dreaming of until last night."

Daniel said tentatively, "Do you think that could have been like a…gift Sha're left us?"

He looked so hopeful and yet so afraid of being slapped down or sneered at that Jack felt his heart tighten again. He moved even closer to him and wrapped his arms around Daniel's torso pulling him in tight against his naked body. He kissed him again, saying firmly, "Why not? She was a kind person and she loved you. She would have wanted you to be happy and…safe."

Daniel looked up at him with gratitude shining out of his eyes but then collected himself and said in his normal tone, "You – volunteering for the assignment, Colonel?"

"And how," Jack told him. "And what's more anyone else trying to volunteer for it is going to be picking his teeth up off the floor."

"Ooh – an alpha male all of my very own." Daniel opened his eyes wide in mockery.

"Damned straight. Your very own Air Force Colonel." Jack kissed him again then murmured invitingly, "Anything in particular you want to do with him?"

Daniel darted him another glance and then said in obvious embarrassment, "I don't know very much about…"

"That makes two of us," Jack lied firmly. "So why don’t we just see what comes to us and make it up as we go along?" He brushed his knuckles gently up the side of Daniel's face.

Daniel tentatively reached up and touched Jack's mouth with his fingers. Jack immediately opened his mouth and sucked them lightly, mouthing the ends of them before turning his head to kiss the palm of Daniel's hand then leaving a trail of kisses to the inside of his wrist. He frowned. "You've got a bruise. Is that where I was pulling you around yesterday?"

"What? Have I? I don't know." 

Jack pulled himself higher up the bed and turned Daniel's left arm over so he could see the bruise underneath his wrist. He kissed it gently. "Tell me when it stops hurting." After a dozen soft kisses, he looked up to see Daniel gazing at him the way he usually only looked at artifacts – totally lost in wonder. Jack suppressed a smile and said conversationally, "So, Daniel, how did you think it would be between us when you realized you were in love with me then?"

Daniel swallowed. "I didn't think there would be a 'between us', Jack. I just concentrated on you not finding out."

Jack frowned and reached up to stroke Daniel's disordered bangs back from his forehead. "That's scary, that means if you and I hadn't wound up in that cave I might never have realized I was in love with you. That is _not_ a happy thought."

"I thought you'd be angry."

Jack suddenly remembered Daniel crying and asking him not to be mad at him, not to hate him. "Oh, Daniel…You know even if I hadn't been in love with you I would never have yelled at you or hated you or been mad at you. We would still have found a way to get round it. I want you to realize how much I love you but I want you to remember how important your friendship is to me as well. How important you are to me." He leant forward and kissed him on the forehead and smiled as he felt Daniel's arms go around him. He lay back down, gently tugging Daniel with him, pulling him on top of him and then wrapping his legs around Daniel's as he looked up at that face looking down at his. He craned his neck to kiss Daniel on the mouth. "You do _know_ how cute you are, don't you?"

Daniel gave a little smile and kissed him back. "I do now." Then he slithered down a little lower to kiss Jack's mouth, then his throat and then his chest; little warm wet kisses that made Jack's groin begin to stir eagerly. 

Jack let his hands slide down Daniel's smooth back to lightly cup those small, tight buttocks.

Daniel tentatively licked at his nipple and Jack's back arched reflexively. Daniel gave a small, pleased smile at the discovery that this made Jack go hard in two places at once and darted a glance at him. "And you do know how handsome you are, right?"

Jack grinned. "Daniel, I am a crabby old guy with grey hair and bad knees and you could do so much better. But I really hope you don't."

"Actually I'm very happy with what I've got." Daniel experimentally leant over and kissed Jack's other nipple, smiling again as that one also hardened.

Jack's hands tightened on that rounded little ass, pulling Daniel's groin against his own. "That makes two of us." He made gentle rocking movements with his hips so that their cocks could slide against each other, eliciting a little gasp of surprised pleasure from Daniel.

The next few minutes were…interesting. He had been intending to keep things very slow and steady but Daniel was giving little moans that were making him very hard indeed. Jack found himself rolling them over on the bed so he could concentrate on kissing that beautiful mouth deeply and thoroughly while their groins made very nice together. His hands instinctively went up to tangle in Daniel's hair and then he was whispering what he realized could definitely be classed as 'sweet nothings' into one of those perfectly sculpted ears. Then his tongue was following the path of those sweet nothings and Daniel was moaning and gasping so loudly that Jack's hips automatically picked up the pace. In the midst of a confused tangle of passionate kissing, licking, nibbling, touching, and groin-thrusting, it took him a little while to understand what Daniel was whispering in _his_ ear which was undoubtedly, 'Can we…you know…do it properly, Jack…?'

Suddenly dry-throated, Jack stopped in mid-nibble of Daniel's neck and turned to look at him. Daniel's eyes had been closed but as the pleasurable thrusting against his groin stopped, he opened them and looked up at Jack. "What?"

"You just asked me to…"

"Don't you want…?"

"Of course, it's just that –"

Daniel continued to look at him steadily. "Jack, if you don't want to then just tell me, it's okay."

Jack bent and kissed him again. "Of course I _want_ to, Daniel. What I don't want to do is push you into doing something you don't want to do."

Daniel frowned and gave him one of those little sideways looks that Jack realized he found utterly irresistible. "Why wouldn't I want you to? Are you some kind of animal in bed?"

Jack returned his gaze levelly. "Yes," he said deadpan and then seeing that little smile flicker at Daniel's mouth, bent to kiss him again. "Okay – no. It's just…. Look – here…" He reached down and took hold of Daniel's wrist gently, still staring into Daniel's eyes, he moved Daniel's right hand and curled it around his groin so Daniel could feel what another man's erect cock felt like between his fingers. Daniel's eyed widened a little. "Oh."

"That is Tab A. This…" Jack pulled them both onto their sides and slid his left hand up Daniel's thigh, stroked it across his left buttock and then slipped a fingertip very gently into Daniel's opening. "This is Slot B. Sometimes getting the two to fit together –"

"Hurts like buggery?" Daniel suggested.

Jack shrugged. "Exactly."

Daniel looked at him for a moment and then smiled. "You won't hurt me."

"I might."

"You won't, Jack."

"Because you have loads of experience at this kind of thing and…?"

Daniel considered the point and then conceded it. "Well – no, but I know you, and I know you'd never hurt me."

Jack reached up and stroked Daniel's hair back from his forehead. He kissed him tenderly, slipping his tongue inside, sucking gently on Daniel's tongue and then mouthing his bottom lip with a sigh of total contentment at being _able_ to touch and lick and taste someone so utterly delectable. "Are you positive you want this?"

Daniel stroked Jack's cock gently. "Positive, Jack."

 

There were things about him Daniel didn't know. Bad things certainly, and if Jack had his way, Daniel would never know about those. But there were good things too. He didn't know that Jack O'Neill was a romantic at heart; and he certainly didn't know what he was like in the bedroom. Even if Daniel had been in love with him for months, as he'd told Jack in the night, he doubted Daniel had ever thought of the man he loved as gentle, tender, or particularly considerate. He would just have been the man he had been unwise enough to fall for: someone who was unreasonable some days and reasonable on others, who was patient on a Tuesday and yet as likely to be impatient on a Wednesday. They knew each other so well and yet in some ways they were strangers to one another. The Jack Daniel had agreed to have sex with was practically a stranger. Daniel was taking this Jack on trust because he liked the other one so much but Jack was still very aware of what a leap in the dark Daniel was taking in trusting him and he was determined not to betray that trust. 

So when he kissed him it was so gently it barely touched the skin, his lips brushing Daniel's eyelids, his mouth, his face, his neck, until Daniel reached out, pulled him down and kissed him, hard and passionate, mouth open, hungry, sucking Jack's tongue into his mouth, letting Jack know he was ready for more than kisses.

Jack did the same with the foreplay, his fingers just tracing Daniel's skin, light circles on his chest and thighs, before he bent his head to mouth his nipples, gently lick his cock, make Daniel moan and gasp and spread his legs in invitation too pointed to ignore. When he fingered him he did that gently too, working the olive oil inside him, stretching him imperceptibly, tantalizing his prostate, until Daniel was gasping and arching his back and saying "God, yes, Jack, yes…"

So there couldn't be any further doubt about what it was he wanted, Daniel rolled onto his hands and knees and gave Jack a look of clear invitation over his shoulder. Jack entered him carefully, feeling Daniel stretch to accept him, hearing him gasp, his breath catch, the sweat break out on his skin, that moan of mingled pain and pleasure, another gasp. Then he was rolling his head back, eyes closed, sweat trickling down his cheekbone which Jack leant forward to lick off, eliciting another moan which grew more insistent as his tongue found Daniel's ear and probed deeply just as he slid his hips forward, easing his cock all the way in.

He thrust gently at first, finding his rhythm, seeking that elusive prostate, tongue and fingers seeking Daniel's hot spots as he kissed, nibbled, and caressed him in counterpoint to his nudging thrusts. Daniel's cock was straining against his hand and he pumped it, slow at first, then harder, faster, as his thrusts increased in answer to Daniel's urgings, that body being shoved so eagerly back against his; moans and pants and gasps the sound of which excited him almost as much as the incredible friction of his cock being so pleasurably squeezed within Daniel's wonderfully tight and welcoming ass.

He mouthed his face, biting his ear gently, whispering all the reasons why Daniel was so much more than he deserved and how he made him feel, like a king, like a god, like a man.

For once Daniel didn't have any words; too busy gasping, body shivering and juddering in reaction to Jack's thrusts and the chain reaction they were causing in his erogenous zones. It seemed to be Daniel's first introduction to his prostate and a surprise to him that the sex was good for him too. From the incoherent gabble he came out with after the first few thrusts he'd seemed to want it because it would prove Jack wanted him, not because he thought he'd like it. The new discovery that having his prostate stimulated by the skillful thrusts of Jack's cock had left him uncharacteristically speechless, yet by no means silent. In fact the little chorus of whimpers, pants and moans Daniel was emitting were the sexiest thing Jack had ever heard in his life, and every time he found another hot spot and managed to elicit another half-strangled sound of ecstasy he felt ten feet tall. 

Jack tried to keep the pace gentle for as long as possible but it was the sharper thrusts that were making Daniel moan the loudest and it was obvious when the thrusts became harder and deeper at last that Daniel loved that sensation too; reveled in the proof of that strength Jack had been reining in with such discipline. Jack also loved the sound and sensation of their slippery skin melding together, the squelching sound of his thrusts getting harder and harder; Daniel's gasps louder, his back arching, pushing back against him, clearly wanting it now like this, the way Jack wanted it too, deeper, harder, hotter, nothing else in the world except their sweat and passion and their bodies writhing together as if they had been waiting a lifetime to be joined. Daniel came at last with a strangled whimper of ecstasy, while Jack breathed a low throaty groan into the back of his neck as he filled him.

"Oh, Danny, Danny, Danny…." Jack rolled them both over and wrapped his arms around Daniel; reaching round to stroke the hair back from his face, before kissing him gently on the ear. "Have you any idea how much you mean to me? Or how long I've been wanting to do that and not even known it?"

"Thank you, Jack," Daniel breathed. "Thank you."

Jack rubbed his cheek against Daniel's face, scraping stubble down his skin. "You're thanking _me_?"

Daniel twisted his head around to see the man's quizzical smile. "You…um… exceeded my expectations."

Jack grinned and kissed him on the nose. "Well we…aim to please." He stroked his hair again. "You sure you're okay?"

Daniel nodded contentedly. "Have never been so okay, Jack."

"Thank you for trusting me," Jack kissed the side of Daniel's neck. "That was quite a leap in the dark you just made."

"Not really." Daniel turned his head again so their lips could touch, "It was with you, after all."

For a few minutes they cuddled together contentedly, Jack cupping Daniel's cheek in his hand as their tongues intertwined, sliding out of him gently in the process and Daniel promptly turning over so that their legs could wrap themselves around each other's. Then Daniel gave another sigh of contentment and rolled onto his back, putting his hands behind his head and giving Jack a sideways glance. "The way we just did it…there are other positions, right?"

Jack nodded, bending his head to kiss Daniel's moist lips again.

"Lots of other positions?" Daniel prompted.

"Quite a few."

"So we could…reward ourselves when we got back from a mission by trying out a new one?"

Jack grinned. "Should we be so inclined, Daniel. Yes we could."

Daniel gave him another sideways look. "Do you think you might be…so inclined?"

Jack bent and kissed him again, running his fingers through Daniel's hair as he mouthed his bottom lip tenderly, then he reluctantly lifted his head to say, "I think I could probably…be persuaded."

"I liked that position, too."

"Good."

"I think that's one we might want to come back to."

"Agreed."

"Quite soon."

Jack grinned again and then kissed him again. "I must make a note to myself to molest my teammates in my sleep more often."

Daniel licked his lips. "You can molest this teammate any time you like."

"Really?" Jack began to leave a trail of kisses up the side of Daniel's face. "Any time I like?"

Daniel gave a little gasp as that warm wet tongue found his ear again. He said hoarsely, "Any time you like."

Jack murmured, "Well, luckily for you, I am way past the age of being able to leap all over your beautiful bones again right away, which is just as well because I need my beauty sleep and you need time to recover – well bits of you do anyway, take it from."

"Just did take it from you, Jack – mmmphh…" Daniel was forced to break off as a determined tongue found its way into his mouth and reproved him thoroughly.

By the time Daniel got his senses and his breath back, Jack was settling them both down to sleep, arranging his arm around Daniel's shoulders and Daniel's head on his chest. Realizing that Jack was right and he was both tired and was aching a little in places, Daniel snuggled in against him contentedly. He put his hand on Jack's heart and rubbed his cheek against the soft gray fuzz of chest hair. 

Jack said, "I was just thinking that if you were a faster runner we would never have ended up here, like this."

"I knew there was a good reason why I always sucked at sports," Daniel murmured drowsily.

"Well, I think we've just found an indoor activity you could excel at, Daniel." Jack stroked a finger down his right upper arm tenderly. "With enough practice, of course."

Daniel kissed the chest he was resting on and murmured sleepily. "Practice makes perfect."

"Except you already are perfect," Jack bent his head and kissed Daniel's smooth shoulder, "in every possible way."

A gentle snore told him that Daniel was already asleep and he smiled, shifting down the bed a little and carefully taking Daniel with him before pulling the duvet over both of them. As Jack closed his eyes he could feel Daniel's breath warming his skin, Daniel's weight on his chest, Daniel's silky hair against his fingers, and he realized this was how he'd always wanted and needed it to be. Just like this. Like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle had just clicked into place. As he drifted off to sleep, Jack decided there was a lot to be said for deferred pleasures but there was even more to be said for finally getting what you'd wanted.

##### The End


End file.
